Inland athletes ready to shine at state finals
Upland’s Delaney Crawford of Upland, middle, wins the boys 300-meter hurdles as teammate Kai Graves-Blanks finishes second at last week’s CIF-SS Masters Meet.
California’s top track and field athletes will descend on Buchanan High School in Clovis this weekend for the first CIF State Championships since the 2019 season.
The state track and field championships in 2020 and 2021 were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Action gets underway Friday with the field qualifying events at 3 p.m., while the running qualifying events start at 5 p.m. The meet concludes Saturday with field event finals starting at 4:30 p.m., and running event finals scheduled to start at 6 p.m.
Upland, led by a deep group of hurdlers, is the favorite to win the boys team championship this season. The Highlanders are looking to become the first team from San Bernardino County to win a state title in track and field.
An Upland victory also would continue a recent run of success by Inland boys teams at the state championships. Vista Murrieta won back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016. Rancho Verde won in 2017, while Murrieta Mesa prevailed in 2018.
More than two dozen Inland athletes and relay teams have qualified for this season’s state finals. Here is a look at a dozen area athletes who could be in contention for titles this weekend.
Aspen Fears of Vista Murrieta finished first in the girls pole vault at the CIF-SS Masters Meet at Moorpark High School.
the title in 2017, and Caleb Lutalo-Roberson won in 2018 and 2019.
KAI GRAVES-BLANKS, UPLAND » Marshall’s absence in the event means Upland has a good chance to sweep the boys hurdling championships. Graves-Blanks is the No. 1 seed in the 110 hurdles and ranks second in the state with a time of 13.64. Upland’s Joseph Anderson captured back-toback titles in the event in 2016 and 2017, and GravesBlanks will try to bring the title back to the Inland Empire. Graves-Blanks is the No. 2 seed in the 300 hurdles (season-best of 37.74), and he also will be running a leg on Upland’s 400 relay team.
SETH JOHNSON, CAJON » Johnson is the only Inland athlete who will be competing in four events at this year’s state meet. His best shot at an individual championship would seem be the high jump, as he has the joint No. 1 mark in the state this season (6-9). The last Inland athlete to capture a state title in the boys
high jump was Carter’s Eric Moore (2013 and 2014). Johnson is seeded sixth in the 110 hurdles and is tied for third in the state with a time of 13.94. Johnson also will be running legs on Cajon’s 400 and 1,600 relays. CADE MORAN, MURRIETA MESA » Moran is among the favorites to win the shot put and discus titles this season. Moran has the state’s No. 1 mark in the shot put (6610), but he will have to fend off a challenge from Great Oak’s Aiden Pastorian (No. 2 at 66-7). The Inland area’s last state champ in the shot put was Great Oak’s Nick Ponzio (2013). Moran also has posted the state’s top mark in the discus this year (207-4). The last Riverside County athlete to win the state title in the discus was La Quinta’s Jarered Morgan (2002).
HUNTER O'BRIEN, ROOSEVELT » O’Brien is the top seed for the pole vault and has registered the state’s top mark of 16-9. O’Brien has a few challengers standing in his way, including Ramona’s Gavin Hanes (No. 4 in the
state at 16-3). The last Inland athlete to win the pole vault title at the state championships was Murrieta Valley’s Peter Chapman (2012). O’Brien broke Chapman’s Riverside County record earlier this year.
JC STEVENSON, GREAT OAK » Like Moran, Stevenson has a better-than-average opportunity to bring home a pair of individual championships. Stevenson has the state’s No. 1 mark in the boys long jump (24-9 ½). The last Inland athlete to win a state title in the boys long jump was Vista Murrieta’s Jovante Slater (2014). Stevenson also will be a favorite in the triple jump, as he also has the state’s top mark in the event (48-6). Stevenson’s older brother CJ captured back-to-back state championship in the triple jump in 2017 and 2018.
Girls
MIA CHAVEZ, CHINO » Chavez is the No. 2 seed in the 800 meters and has posted the No. 3 time in the state this season (2:08.08). The favorite will be Ventura freshman
Sadie Engelhart, but Chavez will look to cap her career with a state title. Another Inland athlete to watch in this event is North’s Mackenize Browne, who ranks sixth in the state (2.09.36). The Inland area has never had a state champion in the girls 800 meters. Chavez also will be competing in the 1,600 meters and has the state’s No. 9 time in that event (4:49.10).
ASPEN FEARS, VISTA MURRIETA » Fears claimed the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet title with a new Riverside County record of 13-3, a mark that is tied for fifth-best in the state this season. Fears is not the only Inland athlete who could contend for a medal. Murrieta Valley’s Madisyn Negro is sixth in the state at 13-2. Fears and Negro will try to become the first Inland athlete to win a state title in the girls pole vault.
CAELYN HARRIS, UPLAND » Harris is the only athlete at this year’s championships who has won an individual state title in the past. She won the girls long jump as a freshman with a winning mark of 20-8 ½, which remains her personal best. Harris is looking to bookend her career with a second state title. Harris has the No. 2 mark in the state this season (19-9 ¾), but she might have to jump 20 feet or better to win again. Golden Valley’s Kylee Davis won the CIF Southern Section’s Masters title with a state-leading mark of 20-4 ½.
ALYSSA HOPE, KING » Hope has been one of the state’s top performers in both the triple jump and long jump this season. Her best chance at a state championship is the triple jump, as she has the No. 1 mark in the state this season (41-3). Hope will be looking to become the Inland area’s first state champion in the triple jump. She also will be competing in the long jump and is tied for third in state this season (19-8 ¾).
NAOMI JOHNSON, ROOSEVELT » Johnson helped the Mustangs win the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship two weeks ago, and she will be competing in three events this weekend. Johnson’s best opportunity for an individual title likely will be the 200 meters, as she has registered the state’s No. 3 time this year (23.69). The last Inland champion in that event was Chino’s Angela Williams (1998). Johnson will compete in the 400 meters and has the No. 4 time in the state (53.87). She also will run a leg on Roosevelt’s 400 relay team.
KAILAH MCKENZIE, ORANGE VISTA » McKenzie is the only Inland athlete to qualify for this year’s state championships in three individual events. She holds the joint No. 3 time in the state in the 100 hurdles (14.03) but likely will have to go sub14 to have a chance at winning a state title because of the presence of Aaliyah McCormick of Scripps Ranch (13.46). The last Inland champ in this event was Upland’s Jada Hicks (2017). McKenzie also will be competing in the long jump (No. 7 in the state at 19-7) and the high jump (best of 5-6).